The Force Awakens
by fb111a
Summary: An AU of The Force Awakens, featuring a very different Ben Solo.
1. Chapter 1

_Well, guess luck wasn't a lady tonight_ , Ben groused internally. His ship had broken down, and there just weren't any good parts around. Or more accurately, good parts he could afford.

 _You know, maybe you shouldn't have blown off Kolman Tye's offer for a complete overhaul_ , he told himself, _he'd have gotten you brand-new parts, they'd have worked_.

 _But then, how would you have explained a practically-new ship when you're struggling to find any sort of decent smuggling run to make?_

 _I wouldn't be stuck here with few prospects_ , he told himself. Kolman Tye's also been very good at keeping a low profile, even if the _Silent Partner_ and _Tye Score_ are wanted vessels, and he is a wanted man.

 _You do have prospects. You didn't want to pursue them then_ , his inner debate partner – for lack of a better term – reminded him. _You have potential to be more than this_.

 _Maybe I'm my father's son_ , he responded.

He blew out a sigh. Well, he needed a hyperdrive motivator, not to mention a new shunt, and there was a good chance his navicomputer had been fried as well. Maybe he could have done better than a G-type Nubian 139. Kolman had some other ships he'd have traded in for that.

Well, Niima Outpost wasn't the _worst_ spot to not have a working hyperdrive, but it had to be in the top 25.

"Plutt wants droid. We take droid," he heard. There it was, a young girl – maybe four years younger than him – was struggling with two thugs.

He acted in instinct, firing a shot that knocked the weapon out of the hand of one.

"The lady obviously didn't want to sell the droid," he said. He kept his blaster ready to move again, but he knew they'd back down. They could push around someone unarmed, old, and trying to struggle, but when faced with the very real threat of someone who could stand up for themselves, they'd run. Which they did.

Now, maybe he could…

She was running after that droid, who was shocking a guy in the leg. Just like R2 did when he was mad, Ben remembered.

"What's your hurry, thief?" he heard the girl ask.

He heard the denials, and watched as the impromptu interrogation continued, before he stepped in.

"Give the guy a chance," he said.

"Who are you?" the girl asked.

Just then, their prisoner pointed, saying, "Trouble."

They looked.

"Stormtroopers," Rey breathed.

That began a chase, as the stormtroopers fired at them. Ben sent four shots back their way, hardly aiming, but saw one connect.

He turned.

"We'll need a ship!" he called out.

"We can outrun them in that quadjumper!" the girl shouted.

"What about that ship?" the other guy asked.

"It's garbage! It hasn't flown in years," the girl responded. Ben took a look… then was about to run when he saw the quadjumper go up after a strafing pass from TIE fighters.

"The garbage'll do," the girl said. Ben was already running there. A YT freighter… he noticed. Familiar memories flooded back of his dad… no, not now, he thought.

"Gunner position is over there," the girl said.

"There's two," Ben responded as he raced to the cockpit. He began to warm up the ship. The more it began to warm up…

The freighter took off, and Ben managed to get it up without doing too much damage. Then again, it was starting to feel more familiar.

Ship that looks like garbage, but flies like a dream? Yeah, I know you… Ben smiled. Okay, they'd need shields… over on the other side of the cockpit.

He reached out and flipped the switches, using the Force. Now, it was time to fly like crazy.

It didn't take long for the other two people on board to send both TIE fighters into the sea of wrecks on Jakku. Ben then flew the ship out, making a clean getaway.

The girl and the guy both came from their gunner positions, and Ben left the cockpit.

"That was some flying!" the girl told him.

"It was good shooting, both of you," Ben said.

"Thanks!" they said.

"How'd you learn to fly like that?" the girl asked.

"My dad taught me," Ben said. "Anyway, who are you? I figure some introductions are in order, since we just killed First Order personnel and stole a starship. I'd like to get a sense as to who my fellow fugitives are."

"I'm Rey," the girl – a scavenger – said.

"Finn," the man said. Ben could sense Finn was hiding something. Then again, Ben thought, so am I.

"For garbage, this ship flew pretty well," Rey said.

"She may not look like much, but she's always had it where it counts," Ben said.

"You know this ship?" Rey asked.

Ben walked over, and opened a hidden compartment. He smiled.

"Yeah, it was my dad's," he said.


	2. Chapter 2

"This ship was your father's?" Rey asked, stunned.

"I believe it might be," Ben said, walking over to one closet. One his father had kept locked.

It was open. Ben pulled out some bowcaster components and parts for a DL-44 pistol.

"Tell me, smuggler with a Wookiee as a first mate. Yeah, that's my dad," Ben said.

"Ben… Solo?" Finn said.

"Yeah," Ben said, looking around. "Dad wouldn't part with the Millennium Falcon unless…"

"Someone took it over his dead body," Finn said.

"Pretty much," Ben said.

He looked around the ship.

"This is the closest I've felt to being home," Ben said, absently. Then he shook it off. "Okay, people. So, what now?"

"We find a Resistance base and take BB-8 there," Ben said.

"But wouldn't Finn…" Rey stated to ask.

Ben look at Finn, then caught the idea as to what was going on.

"Finn helped Poe Dameron escape," he said, "But Finn's defecting to the Resistance."

"So, how do we get in touch with the Resistance?" Rey asked.

"I can always try to reach Kolman Tye," Ben said. "He can get a message to the Resistance, and it would be a safe place to hole up."

"You know where he is? I suppose he'd be moving a lot, being wanted by the Republic, the Resistance, the Empire, and the First Order," Finn said.

"How does he end up being wanted by all four?" Rey asked.

"Long story short, he found a World Devastator, claimed it as salvage in a system where he was owed a few markers. At which point, the local New Republic commander made a deal, which more senior officials later went back on," Ben said. "Finding out the smuggler is the least dishonest person in the room when compared to politicians, a Jedi Grand Master, and Republic military officers was quite the wake-up call."

"He really got a World Devastator?" Finn asked. "I thought it was just rumors."

"Yeah, and he found a few other things," Ben said. "Nobody knows just exactly what he hauled off besides the World Devastator, but the best guess is he got at least one Sovereign-class super star destroyer, and there was a database - so who knows what he got the plans for."

"The First Order wants the ships and the database bad," Finn said. "The person who brings that database in was promised very lavish rewards by none other than Supreme Leader Irek."

"I heard, they're even willing to supposedly cut deals with bounty hunters and smugglers," Ben said.

Then, something burst, and there was an eruption of steam from the grating.

"Finn," watch the cockpit," Ben said, racing for some tools. Rey joined him. They moved the grate, then Ben took a look.

"It's the motivator!" he said.

"Grab me a Harris wrench," Rey said. Ben handed one over as BB-8 joined them.

"BB-8, you're gonna have to tell us where the base is," Ben told the droid, who beeped an interrogatory.

"Pilex driver," Rey said, and Ben handed it over. Rey disappeared and went back to work.

"You and I both know Finn doesn't know," Ben said. "You gotta tell us, so I can get you back to my…"

Rey finished, and climbed up.

"So where's Finn's base?" she asked.

BB-8 beeped a response.

"The Ileenium system?" Rey asked. "Bonding tape," she added. Ben handed it over.

"Yeah," Ben said.

"I'll drop you two at Ponemah Terminal," Rey said. "I gotta get back to Jakku."

"Why go back?! You got a family? You got a boyfriend? Cute boyfriend?" Ben asked.

"None of your business, that's why," Rey said. She was done. "That was close. If we hadn't patched it up, the propulsion tank would have overflowed and flooded the ship with poisonous gas!"

"That would have been bad," Ben said. Then, the ship's power cut out.

"That's not good," Rey said.

"Oh, no," Finn said from the cockpit. Ben and Rey raced there, Ben seeing Finn climbing up to take a look.

"This is not good," the former stormtrooper said. "It's the First Order."

"What do we do now?" Rey asked.

"You said poisonous gas," Ben said. "We can unfix the motivator."

"Stormtrooper masks filter out smoke, not toxins," Finn said, getting the idea.

"Let's go," Ben said. The hard part was getting BB-8 into the grating, but they squeezed in.

"Hurry!" Finn said, just as Ben closed the grating.


	3. Chapter 3

Han Solo made his way up the ramp into the YT-type freighter they had come across. When the override code had worked, he had a feeling this was her. His first mate, Chewbacca, followed behind him. Both had their weapons ready.

When he walked in, all he could do was smile.

"Chewie," he said. "We're home."

They looked around the main cabin for a moment. Han checked a couple of the computers. She wasn't in bad shape, but she wasn't up to his specs. Where had she been?

Chewie had been walking around, then gave Han a look. One thing about being a team for four decades, they didn't need to talk. Very useful when they needed a tactical plan, or when there was a need to convey information and not let someone else know.

He knew Chewie could smell someone. The Wookiee motioned his head towards the secret compartment. Han nodded, then made some movements with his hands – telling Chewie where to go, how to set it up.

Once Chewie was in position, Han lifted the floor grate to where the compartment was…

"Ben?"

Ben had watched the hatch open, then when the shadows went up, he closed it. He kept an ear out.

"Chewie, we're home."

Dad! He was alive!

It didn't take long before the lid opened, and Ben Solo was looking at his dad for the first time in seven years.

"Ben?"

"Hi, Dad," Ben said. "I found the Falcon."

Chewie gave out a roar of pure joy, then lifted Ben up to give him a huge hug.

"Easy, Chewie! I missed you, too!" Ben said.

Han holstered the blaster.

"Who are your friends?" he asked.

"Rey, Finn, this is my dad, Han Solo. We just made our escape on the Millenium Falcon," Ben said. "Dad, meet Rey, Finn, and BB-8. They need to get to the Resistance." He explained the story for about three minutes.

"Nimma Outpost? Jakku?" Han asked at the end. "Told you we should have double-checked the Western Reaches," he said to Chewie. "Your ship?"

"Hyperdrive broke down, and the First Order probably blasted it," Ben said, sighing.

"I'm sorry," Han said. "I know she meant a lot to you."

"Right now, Dad, we probably need to get in touch with Kolman Tye. He can pass a message to the Resistance through Kyp," Ben said. "Then, I'll even take him up on the offer of a new ship."

"I can probably get you in touch with them faster by reaching out to Maz Kanata," Han said. "Your mom would kill me if I let you get another ship and run off."

"The pirate queen?" Ben asked. "Dad, she hates politics, and we're running from the First Order. Kolman Tye has the firepower to hold his own in that circumstance."

"But she has no beef with the Resistance or your mother. Kolman, on the other hand…"

"I know, I know, Dad. But if a First Order fleet shows up…"

Han thought it over.

"Here's what we do. We head to Maz, but you can tell Kolman to meet us there. From there, we get you and your friends to the Resistance. And you are going to at least see your mother before you head off again," he said, leaving no room for discussion or argument.

"Sounds like a plan," Ben agreed. "How are Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin?"

"Jacen went searching for a Jedi Master with your Uncle Luke. Jaina's working with your mom at Resistance headquarters. Anakin's been out looking for you in the Outer Rim," Han said.

"How many Jedi are…"

"Less than thirty," Han said.

"That few?" Rey asked, stunned. "But I'd heard that…"

"The Praxeum?" Han asked. "It was never easy finding Force-sensitive people. Luke found a few Jedi who survived the Purges. But the Republic never had the resources the Old Republic did to find Jedi or the Empire did to hunt them down, and so we really didn't find a lot of potential Jedi at all, maybe about 150, tops. Then, the First Order struck."

"The First Order claimed to have killed over a hundred Jedi," Finn said. "Ahsoka Tano, Ezra Bridger, Streen, Madurin…"

"I know the list," Ben said. "Finn, who was in charge of the task force sent to Jakku?"

"Krayt Ren," Finn said. "He had a pair of apprentices with him – Welk and Lomi."

"A'Sharad Hett," Ben said. He and Han exchanged a look.

"I'll get that message off to Kolman," Ben said.

"I'll have to tell King Prana that the delivery will run a little late," Han said. Then there was a loud noise. "Don't tell me a rathtar's gotten loose."

Finn's eyes went wide.

"Wait - a what?! Did you just say rathtars? Hey!" He shouted as he, Rey, and Ben began to follow Han.

"You're not hauling rathtars on this ship, are you, dad?" Ben asked.

"I'm hauling rathtars," Han said, looking at the display. "Great, it's the Guavian Death Gang - they must've tracked us from Nantoon."

Han headed off, reaching the control room of his larger freighter just as Rey asked what a rathtar was.

"They're big and dangerous," Han said.

"How'd you get them on board?" Ben asked.

"I used to have a bigger crew," Han replied. "Ben, you get BB-8 and your friends to the Falcon. If things go bad here, I want you to take the Falcon and get to the Takodana system. Maz Kanata will get you to your mother."

Ben exchanged a glance with Rey and Finn.

"Right," he said. Then, as the ship docked in the bay. "I think that plan has been overtaken by events."

Han swore. "This is not how I imagined this day was going to go."


	4. Chapter 4

"What are you going to do?" Rey asked Han.

"Same thing I always do: talk my way out of it," Han said as a Rather ran up against the door to its containment. Rey, Finn, and Ben made their way to the Falcon with BB-8.

Chewie made a comment.

"Yes, I do. Every time," Han said, as a portal opened.

"Han Solo. You are a dead man," Bala-Tik said, flanked by a half-dozen of his men.

"What's the problem?" Han asked.

"You know the problem. We loaned you fifty thousand for this job," Bala-Tik said. "I also heard you borrowed fifty thousand from Kanjiklub."

"You know you can't trust those little freaks! How long've we known each other?"

"Not much longer," Bala-Tik responded. "We want our money back. Now."

"Ya think hunting rathtars is cheap? I spent the money!" Han said. "But I have the rathtars. You can take them to King Prana and get the three hundred thousand he promised me for them. Give Kanjiklub fifty and you walk away with five times your money."

Bala-Tik thought that over for a moment.

"And why would you give up two hundred thousand?"

"Because I need to get my son back to his mother," Solo said.

"Maybe, but Kanjiklub wants their investment back, too," Bala-Tik said.

Another door opened, and Han stepped back as Tasu Leech entered, with at least as many men as Bala-Tik.

"Tasu Leech, good to see you," Han said.

Tasu Leech was furious when he noticed the thump.

"You got the rathtars," he said.

"Yes, and King Prana will pay a hundred thousand for each," Han said. "You can figure out to split it."

He stepped back some more. He was in the blast door frame. Chewie was behind him, watching his back.

"What could get you to give up two hundred thousand so easily?" Tasu Leech asked.

"I need to get my son back to his mother," Han said.

The two looked at each other, as if coming to an agreement.

"Very well, Solo," Bala-Tik said. "I think that is an equitable agreement."

Han smiled.

"See? I knew we were all reasonable beings," he said.

Bala-Tik and Tasu Leech both smiled.

Once past the threshold of the blast door, Han suddenly saw it slam shut.

"C'mon, Chewie!" he said.

The closed blast door had scuppered their plans to shoot Han Solo, but Bala-Tik shrugged.

"Are you really buying Solo's claim?"

"That freighter in the bay is the _Millenium Falcon_ ," Bala-Tik said. "Solo did have a son who went missing after the Jedi were exterminated by the First Order."

"So, three hundred thousand. Quite a lot," Tasu Leech said. "I think a fifty-fifty split would be agreeab-"

He was cut down a blast from Bala-Tik. His men died soon after.

"Sorry, Tasu, but I am not inclined to share with you," Bala-Tik said. He then thought for a moment.

"Wait a couple of hours, then signal the First Order that the fugitives are on the _Millenium Falcon_ with Han Solo," he added.

"Why the wait?" one of his men asked.

"Solo did help me make a five hundred percent profit on that fifty thousand we loaned him," Bala-Tik said, watching as the Falcon left the freighter's docking bay. "I think a brief family reunion is only fair."

On board the _Falcon_ , Rey had primed the fuel pump, which had Ben shaking his head.

"Just what did that Unkar Plutt guy do to the Falcon?" he asked.

"He installed a fuel pump. If we don't prime that, we're not going anywhere," Rey said.

"I really hate that guy," Han said as he arrived in the cockpit.

"Don't forget the compressor," Rey said.

Chewie moan-talked for about ten seconds.

"Yeah, we need to bypass it," Han said. The _Falcon_ was soon out of the bay, and made the jump to lightspeed.

That done, Han made his way back to the Falcon's main cabin.

"So, why do you all need to get to the Resistance?" Han asked.

"The droid has a map to Luke Skywalker," Rey said.

Ben stopped, stunned. Han was no less shocked.

"You really were the Rebellion general," Finn said.

"I thought he was a smuggler," Rey said.

"I was both," Han said, cracking a slight smile. "Damn, that kid just gets me on a damn fool crusade… again."

The two of them paused.

"We'll need to see the map," he said.

"Go ahead," Rey said to BB-8.

The droid projected the map, and Han took a look through it, lost in thought.

"This map's not complete. It's just a piece," Han said. "Ever since Luke disappeared, people have been looking for him."

"Why did he leave?" Rey asked.

"He had been training a new generation of Jedi. One of them, Brakiss, was a plant from the Imperial Remnant. He managed to turn another apprentice, Dolph, against Luke. They tried to steal a prototype superweapon," Han said.

"Their plan failed," Ben said, "They managed to put Uncle Luke into a bacta tank, but he put up enough of a fight to alert others. When Kyp Durron saw they had retrieved that prototype, he got Gantoris and Dorsk 81 to try to stop them. They held the two Dark Jedi to a standstill, but fight ultimately started to turn against them, and Dorsk 81 and Gantoris were both fatally wounded. Kyp then stole the weapon himself and made an escape. He found a safe spot, got some help, then managed to eventually put that prototype into a black hole. It was a close call for Kyp, and Kolman Tye pretty much saved his life."

"Those two have been best friends ever since," Han said. "But Brakiss and Dolph – who now goes by Kueller – linked up with Irek Ismaren. Ismaren, and some Dark Jedi named Snoke had recruited other Dark Siders, and had formed a splinter from the Imperial Remnant called the First Order. They eventually took over the Remnant and then attacked the Jedi Order six years ago."

"How did you survive?" Rey asked Ben.

"I walked away from the Order when they tried to take the _Silent Partner_ from Kolman Tye," Ben said. "It was about four months before the First Order attacked."

"Where did Luke go? Do you know what happened to him?" Finn asked.

"There're a lot of rumors. Stories. The people who knew him the best think he and some other Jedi went looking for the first Jedi temple," Han said. "Apparently some Jedi from the Old Republic went looking for it before the Clone Wars… I forget her name."

"Yaddle," Ben said, absently. "Jacen said she had probably the broadest knowledge of the Force of any Jedi in the last two thousand years."

"So, it's all true?" Rey asked.

"I used to wonder that myself. Thought it was a bunch of mumbo-jumbo - magical power holding together good, evil, the dark side and the light," Han said. "'Crazy thing is, it's true. The Force, the Jedi, all of it. It's all true."

He stopped for a moment, looking at the map.

"Okay, let's get to Maz Kanata," he said.

"I got that message off to Kolman Tye," Ben said.

"He say anything?" Han asked.

"He said he'd have backup, and that a mutual acquaintance would be along," Ben said.

"Good," Han said. "Now, let's just hope that Bala-Tik and Tamu Leech didn't think to call the First Order."


	5. Chapter 5

"I've never seen so much green in one place," Rey said.

Ben chuckled.

"There are planets where people are thoroughly sick of green," Ben said. "Dagobah, Kashyyyk…"

"I'm sure she gets the picture," Han said, as he maneuvered towards a landing platform near a huge castle. The _Falcon_ landed in one of the more discreet locations, but not before Han recognized one of the ships.

"Tye's here," he said.

"Who?" Rey asked.

"Kolman Tye," Ben Solo said. "Probably the most notorious smuggler of our generation," he said to Rey. "Well, at least for now."

"So, what are we walking into here?" Finn asked, drawing looks from Han and Ben. "You should know, I'm a big deal in the Resistance. Which puts a real target on my back. Are there any conspirators here? First Order sympathizers?"

"Finn, worry more about what happens when Rey finds out the truth," Ben said. "Dad, what do you think?"

Han handed Finn a blaster.

"I think we're in very deep, Ben," Han said.

He stepped out to where Rey was looking over the landscape of Takodana in wonder.

"You might need this," he said, handing her a blaster.

"I think I can handle myself," Rey said.

"I know you do. That's why I'm giving it to you. Take it," Han said. As Rey looked it over, he asked, "You know how to use one of these?"

"Yeah, you pull the trigger," Rey said.

"There's a bit more to it than that," Han said, as he recognized who was walking towards him.

"Sahkrivar," he said.

"Han clan Solo," the Noghri said. "You will be pleased to know that the Resistance has been notified of what you have delivered and that your son's ship has been recovered."

Han nodded.

"Did Kolman bring backup?" he asked.

"His best friend and the big gun," Sakhrivar said. "I am very grateful that your son is safe, and the _Mal'ary'ush_ is on her way here."

Han acknowledged the Noghri's report.

"Who's the _Mal'ary'ush_?" Rey asked.

"Leia," Han said. "Long story. I've been thinkin' about bringing on some more crew, Rey. A second mate. Someone to help out. Someone who can keep up with Chewie and me, appreciates the _Falcon_."

"Are you offering me a job?" Rey asked.

"If Ben hasn't," Han said.

"You're offering me a job," Rey said, then thought it over. "If you were, I'm flattered."

"But…"

"But I've been away from Jakku for far too long already," Rey said.

"Yeah," Han said. "Chewie, you and Sakhrivar check out the ship as best you can."

"Kolman told me to find out if you needed any parts," the Noghri said, and went to work with the Wookiee. Han shook his head.

"So, why are we here?" Finn asked.

"To get BB-8 onto a clean ship," Ben said.

"Clean?" Finn asked.

"Do you think it was luck that Chewie and I found the Falcon? If we can find it on our scanners, the First Order's not far behind. Want to get BB-8 to the Resistance? Maz Kanata and Kolman Tye are our best bet," Han said.

"We can trust her, right?" Ben asked.

"Relax, kid. She's run this watering hole for a thousand years. Maz is a bit of an acquired taste, so let me do the talking. And whatever you do, don't stare..."

"At what?" Rey and Finn asked.

"At anything," Ben said.

They walked into the crowded tavern, making their way through the many patrons. At least things would be kept quiet, Ben hoped.

"Han Solo!" a surprisingly powerful voice rang out from a small alien, maybe four and a half feet tall – not much taller than Sakhrivar, Ben thought.

"Oh, boy," Han muttered. "Maz! Good to see you!"

"Where is my boyfriend?" the small alien asked.

"Working on the Falcon," Han said.

"I like that Wookiee. From what Kolman Tye tells me, you need something. Desperately. Let's get to it," she said.

As they walked past, one of the patrons left and found a quiet alcove.

"Tell the First Order the droid is here," she said.

The First Order spy had no idea that the droid she passed by had overhead her. She never even paid the droid any mind. But the droid, GA-97, was sending its own message.

"Alert the Resistance! The First Order knows that BB-8 is here."

Maz Kanata lead Han to a table where a pair of human men sat. Han broke into a smile.

"Good to see you, Kyp," Han said. "Keeping Kolman out of trouble?"

"Or, I bail him out," Kolman Tye said in response. "You need to get some people and a droid to the Resistance?"

"Yeah," Han said, explaining for thirty seconds.

"A map to Skywalker himself? You're right back in this mess," Maz said.

"I need you to get the droid and Ben to Leia," Han said.

"No. You've been running away from this fight for too long. Han, _nyakee nago wadda_. Go home!" Maz urged.

"What fight?" Rey asked.

"We came here for your help," Finn said.

"The only fight: against the dark side. Through the ages, I've seen evil take many forms. The Sith. The Empire. Today, it is the First Order. Their shadow is spreading across the galaxy. We must face them. Fight them. All of us,"

"There is no fight against the First Order! Not one we can win. Look around. There's no chance we haven't been recognized already," Finn said.

"Oh, yeah, there's a First Order agent here – that vixen-type lady. But if they show up here, I've got Tye Score waiting to pounce," Kolman Tye said. "She's still not 100%, but she's still in decent shape."

"And if Luke sent the map, then he's found the Jedi Temple," Kyp added.

Maz adjusted her goggles to look at Finn.

"Solo, what is she doing?" Finn asked.

"Sizing you up," Han said, drawing a nod from Kyp and Kolman.

"If you live long enough you see the same eyes in different people. I'm looking at the eyes of a man who wants to run," Maz said. "You see those two? They'll trade work for transportation to the Outer Rim. There, you can disappear."

Rey took a look at Finn.

"You can't just go," she said.

"I'm not who you think I am," Finn said. "I'm not Resistance. I'm not a hero. I'm a Stormtrooper. Like all of them, I was taken from a family I'll never know. And raised to do one thing..."

He paused, gathering his emotions. "But my first battle, I made a choice. I wasn't going to kill for them. So I busted a pilot who was a prisoner out, and I ran. Right into you. And you looked at me like no one ever had. I was ashamed of what I was. But I'm done with the First Order. I'm never going back."

"You don't need to," Kolman said. "I got openings, and you can hire on after we get BB-8 to the Resistance."

Finn thought it over.

"Don't go," Rey said.

Kolman's comlink then beeped. He listened for a moment.

"We don't have much time. First Order task force entered the system. Three Star Destroyers, three Strike cruisers and five Carrack-class cruisers," Kolman said.

"Then I guess we have to fight," Finn said, resigned. Just then, he saw a flash of red. He looked through the window.

Ben, Kolman, Kyp, and Maz could feel the mix of emotions the former stormtrooper felt.

"The First Order, they've done it," he said.

The rest of them looked out the window, watching the streak of fire as it neared its target.

"The rules just changed," Kolman Tye said.


	6. Chapter 6

"Kyp, you'd better get BB-8 to Bold Fortune and start warming her up. Take Finn and Rey with you," Kolman said. "Hopefully, we can get off before…"

The sound of TIE fighters cut Kolman off.

"Okay. We fight our way out," Kyp said.

"Fine by me," Kolman said. "Some First Order thugs want to get between us and taking BB-8 to the Resistance, it's their funeral."

"Kolman," Maz said. It was a gentle, yet firm tone.

"Yes, Maz?" the smuggler asked.

"Don't be so cavalier about taking life," the petite being said. "That leads to the Dark Side."

"I'm not, but I have no intention of losing mine, either," Kolman said with a smile. "Now, I'm willing to bet that we're gonna have visitors soon."

The castle shook with an explosion.

"Can't believe they are trashing this place," Kolman muttered on his way out.

"Come, to the basement," Maz said, motioning to Rey and Ben.

Down in the basement, Maz led them both to a curio box. Rey was drawn towards it, and finally stopped in front of it.

"Go ahead, open it," Maz said. Rey did so, and then pulled out a lightsaber. Soon, visions came to her. A battle, about a half-dozen Jedi versus some…Dark Jedi, for lack of a better term. Death, destruction.

"What's..." Rey was paralyzed as old memories of hers came back. Being left on Jakku…

"This lightsaber was Luke's. And his father's before him and now, it calls to you," Maz Kanata said.

"I have to get back to Jakku," Rey said.

"Han told me," Maz said. "Dear child. I see your eyes. You already know the truth. Whomever you're waiting for on Jakku, they're never coming back. But... there's someone who still could," Maz said, gently. It was a different tone than how she'd spoken to Kolman Tye. That had been stern, but still with a gentleness.

"Luke," Rey said.

"The belonging you seek is not behind you. It is ahead. I am no Jedi, but I know the Force. It moves through and surrounds every living thing. Close your eyes. Feel it," Max said. "The light. It's always been there. It will guide you. The saber. Take it."

Rey shook her head.

"I am never touching that thing again. I want nothing to do with it," she said, racing away. Ben tried to stop her, then turned to Maz.

"I can…"

"No, young Solo. This one is yours," Maz said, handing Ben a different lightsaber.

Ben took it, holding it up. He pressed the button. A green blade lit up, crackling a little. He chuckled.

"Uncle Luke told me I could do better, but somehow… this feels right," Ben said, snapping off the blade.

Maz handed Luke's lightsaber to Finn.

"I've had this for ages… kept it locked away," she said.

"Where did you…" Han started to ask.

"A question for another time," she said. "Take it! Find your friend!" she told Finn.

The castle shook from a blast.

"Those beasts! They're here!" the pirate queen said.

Over Takodana, the First Order fleet had taken very heavy losses against the Tye Score. But the Sovereign-class super star destroyer had taken a lot of blows. It had never been a completed warship, but it still had plenty of firepower and lots of drone fighters. The Tye Score may have been ill-equipped for a fight, but she did not go down easily.

By the time the First Order disabled the nine-mile long vessel, the First Order had one destroyer, a Strike cruiser and two Carrack-class light cruisers left in any shape to fight. The rest were either destroyed or disabled themselves.

On Takodana, Han, Finn, Ben, Maz, and Chewie made their way out of the basement and into a firefight. Han shot two troopers, and shouted, "Come on, Chewie!"

"I need a weapon!" Finn shouted.

"You have one!" Maz responded, grabbing his wrist.

Kolman Tye and Kyp Durron were making their way towards the wreckage. Kyp using his lightsaber to deflect the blaster bolts back at stormtroopers or to just cut them down, while Kolman stick with a pair of blasters.

"Can I borrow that?" Han asked Chewie, motioning to the bowcaster. He then fired a shot at some troopers headed towards Kyp, sending them flying.

Kyp was headed towards two Dark Jedi – Lomi and Welk. Kyp soon found himself in one deadly duel with the two of them – at least until what looked like an ordinary spacer pulled a lightsaber as well, making the fight a more even one. Kolman had made his way to Han, who had just blasted a stormtrooper with a mace who was attacking Finn.

"Freeze!" That voice cut through as stormtroopers arrived.

"Don't move! TK-338, we have targets in custody!" the squad leader of the stormtroopers said.

Kyp Durron knew that Welk was a powerful Dark Sider, but he was also kind of a flunky. Still he had been the second-best student that the Shadow Academy produced, at least that was what Zekk had told him.

"Not much for words, are you?" Kyp asked during the fight. Yeah, this might be a time to fight dirty.

"Why talk to someone lesser than me?" Welk asked, trying to make his move. He lunged forward, forcing Kyp back towards the shadows. "You Jedi have killed my friends! My family in the Dark Side! I have no words for you, just a blade."

"The Shadow Academy gave us no choice," Kyp said.

"You could have surrendered. You could have died." Welk was furious.

"Not going to happen," Kyp said.

"I will make it happen!" Welk yelled, then lunched at him.

"That's your mistake," Kyp said, standing his ground.

The Dark Jedi skillfully dodged them, then struck at what he thought was Kyp…

Only to see a silver blade through his chest. He staggered forward, off the blade, turned to look, then saw the Jedi Master, who had a look of pity in his eyes.

"This didn't have to end this way," Kyp said.

"It must… for one of us or both of us," Welk said, and launched forward in a final attack. Kyp dodged, then took Welk's lightsaber arm, followed by a final stroke.

"Now, where's Lomi?" Kyp asked.

Tresina Lobi had been checking out various spaces to locate Han Solo – and to keep an eye on Kolman Tye. Now, she was in a fight against a very powerful Dark Jedi. Lomi was proving to be far more capable than she had imagined.

Lobi wasn't a fighter, she was, if anything, perhaps the best intelligence agent the New Jedi Order had. She somehow was easy to overlook – and in the initial stages of this fight, the element of surprise had thrown off the Nightsister.

Now, though, the Nightsister's superiority was beginning to tell. A couple of moves, and then Lobi felt herself shoved into a stack of cargo containers, leaving her stunned.

This was it. Just then, another Jedi jumped in, this time with a silver blade. Lomi's blow, intended to finish off the Chev, instead was blocked. Then, the Force-sensitive smuggler fired off a force push of his own – sending Lomi into the side of one of the freighters. It was far more unyielding than the cargo containers, and Tresina could hear some bones crack from the impact.

Yet Lomi wasn't quite done. The Nightsister had pulled herself up, and was making her way towards the downed Jedi.

Before Tresina Lobi slipped into unconsciousness, she heard a series of blaster shots.

Han and Chewie were moving as quickly as they could through the battle. When they'd seen the mysterious Jedi lose, and then saw Kyp and Kolman temporarily knock out that Nightsister, they'd opened up on the Dark Jedi.

Chewie caught her with a bolt from his bowcaster, while Han put no fewer than four shots into the disoriented Dark Jedi, who finally went down for good. As they moved on, Han's heart sank as he heard Finn shouting.

It was Krayt, holding Rey.

"You're not taking her anywhere," Han said, ignoring the last time he had tried to go up against a Dark Jedi who wasn't previously wounded. This time, he and Chewie fared little better than they had at Bespin. Han found himself frozen, while Chewie got hurled into a stack of cargo containers.

Han would then see Kolman Tye step in front of the Sith Lord. Kolman Tye had a lightsaber out – one that blazed gold. Then, Han's eye widened as a second blade emerged. The smuggler – who was obviously at least some sort of rogue Jedi, the Rebellion hero told himself – made a few very fancy moves.

I'd just pull my blaster and blast him, Han thought. What was Kolman thinking?

"What is all that?" he heard Krayt ask. "You think that will stop me?"

"Stop you?" Kolman asked, looking incredulous. "I'm not trying to stop you. I'm distracting you, you glit-biter."

"Distracting me?" Krayt couldn't believe this impudent smuggler. "Distracting me from…"

Han then saw the Dark Jedi jerk, and then drop like a sack of bantha fodder. Ben had managed to sneak up on Krayt and put him own for the count.

Ben Solo was, to put it in the vernacular from some backwater world, pissed off. The First Order had just wiped out some planet. Krayt was trying to take Rey. Now, he'd hurt his dad and Chewie.

Enough was enough. He began making his way towards Krayt, blasting a pair of stormtroopers who still showed any fight, just as he saw Kolman break out his lightsaber… two blades? No, time to put this kriffing glit-biter down for good.

He pulled out his blaster, made sure a stray bolt wouldn't hit Rey, then pulled the trigger. After Krayt went down, Ben fired one more round in the Sith's head.

"Damn, Ben, remind me never to piss you off," Kolman said.

"Cool lightsaber," Ben said.

"Just something I tinkered with," Kolman replied. "If you want, I'll show you the notes I found. Nice work, by the way."

"Some glit-biters just need to be blasted," Ben said.

By then, Resistance X-wings had arrived, and were cleaning out the remnants of the First Order task force. Han Solo made his way over to look at the dead Sith. Chewie was also there, holding his left arm… obviously broken.

"Well, the easy part's done," Han said. Chewie grunted in agreement.

"Easy? You call that easy?" Ben asked, incredulous at what his dad had just said. "What in the name of the Force could be the hard part?"

"Explaining this to your mother," Han said.


	7. Chapter 7

**Dedicated to the memory of Carrie Fisher.**

Picking up the pieces after the fight proved to be more an exercise in keeping the vanquished First Order prisoners safe from the spacers, and providing first aid to the wounded of all sides.

The Resistance had transports arriving as well, and Ben took one look at one as it landed.

"Mom's here," he said.

Han blew out a breath, helped Chewie up, and they made their way just as General Leia Organa Solo emerged, preceded by Jaina Solo and . At her waist was a lightsaber and a blaster. She looked over this, then caught a glimpse. Mother and daughter ran over to greet the prodigal husband and son.

"You're safe," she breathed. Leia Organa Solo may be the leader of the Resistance, but she was still a mother.

"Yeah, Chewie and a Jedi are hurt, so is Ben's friend," Han said, as Jaina was hugging her kid brother.

Clighal was right behind Leia, and went to work on the wounded as Leia took a look at the scene. It had obviously been one hell of a battle.

"You got Ben in a firefight?" Leia asked, crossly.

"Hey, you should see the other guys," Han said. "Besides, Ben handled himself pretty well."

"You should see the other guys?" Leia said, crossly, looking over the scene. It was bad. She looked some more, then…

"Krayt Ren is dead?" she asked.

"Yeah, it was either take him down for good or he took Rey," Ben said. "I chose option A with some Corellian Overdrive."

Leia turned to her son.

"Corellian Overdrive?" she asked.

"Yeah, Kolman had him distracted… so I didn't throw away my shot," Ben said.

"Sith's dead all right," Kam Solusar said. "Someone took him out from behind. Two blaster shots."

"You shot him in the back?" Leia asked, stunned.

"He was going to kidnap Rey and do Force knows what to her," Ben said. "I couldn't just let that happen. Besides, it was the safest way to do so."

"Can't argue with that," Jaina said.

Leia nodded.

"You are going to have a long talk with your Uncle Luke," Leia said. She surveyed the scene some more.

"Master Lobi is stable, and we're moving her," Clighal said. Medics moved the wounded Jedi towards one of the Resistance shuttles as Chewie made his way over. The Jedi healer made her way over to the Wookiee, and began examining him.

"Who shot the Sith in the back? Kolman Tye?" Corran Horn asked. That drew a sigh from the young smuggler, his sister, and the maverick Jedi.

Just then, a blaster bolt hit the dead Sith, causing everyone to jump in surprise as Kolman came over.

"I think he was already dead," the former CorSec officer turned Jedi said.

"Horn, your sense of fair play is going to get somebody killed," Kolman Tye said. "I figured a little insurance was in order."

"Then who was…" Corran trailed off as he noticed Leia was there. Ben Solo was also there, healthy and unharmed…

"Ben?" he asked, stunned.

"I'm already going to have a long talk with my uncle. Now, why don't we clear out before the First Order wonders what happened to its fleet?" he asked.

"That's a good idea," Han said, drawing assent all around.

The Resistance cleared out, with the Falcon, the Bold Fortune, and the Tye Score following.

Eleven hours after the Silent Partner had arrived and she had looked over the Tye Score, Kayt Starrunner-Morrick was not a happy camper.

"It'll take three years minimum to even hope to get her structurally sound. Add another year for the combat systems – and that's assuming we have the techs," she said.

"Damn," Kolman muttered. "Any good news?"

"We do have the incomplete ships we could cannibalize for a lot of the combat systems," Kayts said. "May cut a couple months off."

"The galaxy may not have that time," Kolman said as Jaina arrived.

"Look, she may have a half-dozen jumps in her," Kayt said as Jaina motioned to them.

Arriving at the main command center, they heard the discussion about Starkiller base.

"They've somehow created a hyper lightspeed weapon built within the planet itself," they heard Snap say.

"A laser cannon?" Wedge Antilles asked.

"We're not sure how to describe a weapon of this scale," Snap said.

"It's another Death Star," breathed Kyle Katarn.

"I wish that were the case, Jedi Katarn," Poe Dameron said. "This was the Death Star," he added, pulling up the display.

Everyone saw that familiar battle station.

"This is Starkiller Base," Poe said. The planet-sized weapon dwarfed the Death Star.

"So, it's big," Han said.

"How is it possible to power a weapon of this size?" Admiral Ackbar asked.

"It uses the power of the sun. As the weapon is charged, the sun is drained until it disappears," Finn explained.

A young officer handed Leia a datacard.

"The First Order: they're charging the weapon again, now," she said. Her heart sank. "Our system is the next target."

"Without the Republic's Home Fleet, we're doomed," C-3PO said.

"How do we blow it up?" Han Solo asked.

"In order for that amount of power to be contained, that base would need some kind of thermal oscillator..." Admiral Statura said.

"There is," Finn said. "Precinct 47. Here."

He pointed to one location.

"If we can destroy that oscillator, it might de-stabilize the core and cripple the weapon," Statura said.

"Good luck using proton torpedoes," Kolman said.

"Got some superweapon we can use?" Corran Horn asked, sarcastically.

"Kayt?" Kolman asked.

"Tye Score is not in any shape for a fight," she said. "I don't even wanna try to use the big gun."

"Suppose we rammed it into the oscillator?" Kolman asked.

Everyone was taken aback.

"That could do it," Statura said. "Dropping a nine-mile long ship on that thing…"

"They have defensive shields that our ships cannot penetrate," Admiral Ackbar said.

"I guess it is time for us Jedi to earn their pay," Kyp said, looking at Leia.

"A Jedi commando team," Leia said. It wasn't a question.

"I can disable the shields. But I have to be there, on the planet," Finn said.

"We'll get you there," Han said.

"How?" Leia asked.

"You're not going to like it," Han said.


End file.
